


Ink & Ink, Heart & Heart

by musicanova



Series: Barricade Boys AUs [2]
Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Always awkwardness have you SEEN these two, Awkwardness, Don't hate me because it's so poorly written, First Kiss, Height Differences, High School Musical References, M/M, Meet-Cute, Sexual tension in spades, i guess, in accordance to Jehan, please
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-05-15 12:34:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5785489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicanova/pseuds/musicanova
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: "i noticed that you wanted this book so i bought it on a whim and now i have to figure out how to give a book to a stranger au" [<a href="http://heyitscmei.tumblr.com/post/99615525616/bookstore-au-anyone-i-like-buying-books-at-this">x</a>]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ink & Ink, Heart & Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [feuillyish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/feuillyish/gifts).



> Alright, story time from Elise! 
> 
> Today, I woke up bright and early for a... maths tutoring session! HOORAY!!! Well you know, at least my tutor's a great person. 
> 
> And moving on, as taxing as maths is, in the afternoon I have a driving lesson. The instructor's great, someone beeped and scared the crap out of me, got better at finding the friction point; all in all not so bad. 
> 
> But then get this: I drive back home and - my parents have left the house and I didn't grab the keys when I left for my lesson. 
> 
> Hey, no biggie though, I've had to climb over the deck railing before. 
> 
> Turns out I'm shit outta luck though, because my parents have accidentally locked the front gate (which we only ever lock when we're gone for prolonged trips, say overseas for example) and I'm standing there toeing my shoes off in front of my instructor, climbing up the wooden planks of the gate and unlocking it before my heavy head can have me toppling over the top of the gate. On the bright side I could totally become a robber or something that was sneaky af.
> 
> Now don't even get me started on the stupid blinds we bought from Freedom. The instructions are shite, the slats fell out; that thing's hell in a hand basket. 
> 
> But hey, my life's still good. So far. I think. Now, proceed to the poorly-written story.

Combeferre heaved a deep sigh, hidden behind a pile of newly purchased books he was supposed to sort out, but instead skimming through the pages of them.

It wasn't like enough people frequented the store anyway, it was a quiet place, always being trodden over by the chain stores that spread through the city like wildfire, inviting customers in at every corner of the street. 

Not that Combeferre was going to complain at all, not when Ink & Ink was his safe haven of page upon page of books that he could sit and read everyday. 

He'd just turned to the next page in the book when the bell above the door tinkled, signalling a new customer.

Head still buried in _How to Sell Glass Eyes_ , a not-so-thrilling YA novel that came to disappoint (despite the colourful praise it had received which was plastered all over the cover), Combeferre barely lifted his eyes when he said "Welcome to Ink & Ink, may we offer our services?", in the least bored way he could possibly muster. 

"That's very kind of you, but I'll just take a look around," was all the customer replied with, walking off to the back section, but not before Ferre's brain registered the mellifluous voice that had uttered the words as his head shot up, trying to catch a glimpse of the owner.

_Dark brown hair curling around the ears... alright..._

(If it weren't obvious by his seemingly calm inner thoughts, Ferre's heart was already racing without even having seen the man's face.)

Curiosity getting the better of him, Combeferre (finally) decided to shelve the new books, conveniently weaving his path around the brown-haired customer. 

"Yeah, this one!" he heard the man say to himself, picking up the book. "I'll save up for this one."

Then the man glanced at his watch and almost jumped out of his skin, exploding through the front doors and leaving the bell ringing wildly in his wake.

In his absence, Combeferre snaked his way through the shelves to find the brown-haired customer's special-enough-to-save-up-and-wait-for book.

He picked it up off the shelf carefully, turning it over to look at the blurb.

_Dang, kid's got good taste._

And without another second's thought, he took the book to the counter, whipped out his wallet, and paid for it himself. Didn't even give himself the employee's discount, but what can he say? Combeferre's a glutton for punishment. 

~*~

Two weeks had passed since man-of-mellow-voices-and-cute-hair had visited the store, and Combeferre was just heading down to the local cafe to grab a bite before his afternoon shift, duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

He barely registered the man who was muttering in anguish down at his wallet until he'd walked straight into him. 

"By gosh and golly!" the other man jumped in surprise, slamming his wallet closed and slipping it into his back pocket. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph I'm  _so_ sorry."

_Could it be? Was this the-_

Then the man looked up, and pulled a disgusted face, craning his neck towards Combeferre. "Ugh," he grimaced. "Evaporate, tall person!" 

"Did you... did you just quote High School Musical to me?"

"Pfft, no of course not! I mean, you weren't supposed to figure that out..." 

In the small lull that followed, Combeferre opened his mouth.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" he spoke slowly, unsure if he should continue.

The man gave a nod, loose curls of his hair bouncing at the movement.

"Are you the... were you..." he sighed. "Have you visited Ink & Ink recently?"

"Hey I know that voice," the man pointed at him. "You're like the bookstore version of a Walmart greeter!"

"Well I," Combeferre stammered in response. "I don't know how well I did there, didn't even look up from my book. But uhm..." 

Suddenly, the smile slipped off the man's face, colour rising rapidly to his cheeks as he glued his eyes to the ground where his feet scuffed the pavement.

"You uh... you heard me talking to myself, didn't you. I'm sorry, I do that a lot." 

Combeferre stared at the man in wonder, smile creeping onto his face, wondering how the man had come to that realisation while conversing about greetings, but gracefully turned the subject around for the man all the same. "So hey, what's your name?" 

"Courfeyrac," he replied gratefully, sticking a hand out for a shake.

"It's very nice to meet you Courfeyrac, I'm Combeferre."

And in a moment of sheer courage, Ferre pulled out the book he'd kept safely in his duffel bag for two weeks, holding it out to Courfeyrac. 

"I.." Combeferre bit his lip, immediately regretting his actions. "I took the liberty of purchasing it for you I hope it doesn't seem weird I just thought since you seemed so excited about it, it might be nice." 

He finished the sentence with his tongue tied in knots, wishing the ground would swallow him up rather than allow him to be faced with the wide eyes that bored into him, screaming the message "GET ME AWAY FROM THIS FREAK!"

"Uh... see you never!" Ferre shouted, tone on the borderline of cheerful and manic, placing the book before Courfeyrac's feet and running off to the shop, no longer in the mood for a nibble at the cafe. But what can anyone say? He was a glutton for punishment, and punishment that was.

~*~

"Welcome to Ink & Ink," he sighed, voice dripping with misery that he couldn't even find the strength to hide. 

"Hey..." was all Combeferre heard before he was off on his rant.

"Grantaire oh my God, don't even get me started. You were totally right. That's it- I'm going to come and say it: you were  _right_ for once." 

Ferre shivered. "You wouldn't be _lieve_ , I've just gone and thrown my entire life away in the matter of 5 minutes!" 

"How so, Combeferre?" 

"Well you know the-" There was a splutter from beneath the counter before Combeferre crawled his way out, back hitting the wall in surprise. 

"Oh  _crap_. You're not Grantaire." 

"I mean I'd like to think after our meeting mere minutes ago you haven't forgotten my name already," the man chuckled, taking a step towards the counter.

The words were forced and clipped, Combeferre's hands trembling.  "Courfeyrac you need to get away from me. Now."

"Why? Are you... like a werewolf or something? Is this one of those 'get away from me or I'll accidentally kill you' moments?" 

"What? No!" he said incredulously. "I just meant like-"

The door slammed open, with a "Master R to the rescue!" as Grantaire jumped into the store, before looking between the two men already occupying the space. 

"Was I late? I was late, wasn't I."

In response he was met by two slow nods, and Grantaire backed his way out of the shop, taking a complimentary Mentos from the bowl at the counter with him. "I'll just let you two work the kinks out of that awful sexual tension you've got going on because  _man_ is the air thick in here!" 

"Grantaire-"

"Kiss and make up, my beauties!"

"G-"

"Catch you on the flip side, Ferre!" Grantaire excused himself, shoving another handful of Mentos into his pocket before giving a sloppy salute and winking at Combeferre as he skipped out. 

A heavy silence settled over the room, Combeferre now desperate for his manager to march in and scold him for not... dusting the shelves or something. Just anything other than fiddling with his fingers and willing his heartbeat to slow down, coming to the realisation that he'd just become conscious of his breathing which,  _great_ , just great. Because everyone loves noticing their own breathing patterns. 

While concentrated on his own thoughts, Combeferre almost missed the clearing of a throat, looking up to find Courfeyrac closer to him than he remembered. He could have sworn the counter was between them just seconds ago.

"So I think your friend made a pretty good suggestion," said Courfeyrac, chewing at the inside of his cheek. "Because I certainly wouldn't mind kissing you." 

"You don't think I'm a crazy freak?" Combeferre asked weakly.

"Mmm, nope," Courfeyrac popped the p, lips hovering over Combeferre's as if waiting for permission. 

So help him Satan in hell below, present him with the courage of the reckless, he was sweating enough for his glasses to slide down his nose for goodness sakes, and he could feel Courfeyrac's breath right -

_He tastes like strawberries._

Why thank you, oh bright mind of Combeferre's, it's indeed comforting to hold the knowledge that his tastebuds were fully-functional. 

"Shit, you smell good," Combeferre felt the words murmured against his lips, and he pulled back for a moment. 

"And what, pray do tell is this 'good'?"

"Like old encyclopaedias and flipping through the pages of a freshly printed book." 

Combeferre smiled sheepishly, hand coming up to rub his neck. "I work at a bookstore?"

"You don't need to find an excuse, silly. I like it," Courfeyrac grinned, taking the hand from Ferre's neck and replacing it with his own, running it up into his hair. 

"I get the feeling we did this arse-backwards. You gave me a gift, we fought, and then we kissed."

"That was a... fight?" Combeferre tilted his head in question.

"It very well could have turned into one. I was ready to introduce my big guns," Courfeyrac brought his arms up to peck at the muscles, "if they were in need." 

"Let me get this straight,"

"Ain't nothing straight about us, buddy boy."

" _Courfeyrac_ ," Combeferre warned, and wow, they really had done everything 'arse-backwards'. "You were going to punch me?" 

"No but I was prepared to hug you to death." 

"Oh how romantic!" Ferre batted his eyelashes sarcastically. 

Now, where was that manager to tell him he was allowed to finish his shift five hours early?

~*~

"You just had to be there. Damsel in Distress was all 'My life is over! The boy of my dreams is going to hate me because I gave him a gift!' and then Prince Charming was like 'My princess! Oh my sweet, beloved princess-" 

"R, will you just shut up?" Combeferre swatted at his friend's arm, horrified look plastered to his face, and the words 'shut up' clearly accentuated in the sentence.

"And sexual tension in spades, I'm telling you. I don't think they even realised it was there, but you're all just lucky you hadn't seen the two until they were together." 

Combeferre was about to give Grantaire a piece of his mind again when he felt a light tap on his shoulder, turning around to his now boyfriend of three months. 

"Don't pay them no mind, dear," Courf took his hand, leading him away from the crowd, lips already latching onto his. 

"No mind at all." 

**Author's Note:**

> Wow I'm sorry I'll rewrite that sometime.
> 
> (Um so I kinda got discouraged by some hate that got sent directly to my tumblr but so um yeah I changed Jehan to Grantaire, because as much as I love Jehan having the confidence to be funny and all that, we all know that R's the actual little shit.


End file.
